10/15/2026
Myth: Students with profound autism can’t go on field trips because it’s too overwhelming, too risky, or they just won’t get much out of it.
Fact check: Our students just spent the day at Gizdich Ranch picking apples. 🍎
Here’s the thing people miss. A great field trip doesn’t just happen; it’s built, and the work starts long before anyone gets on the coach bus.
It begins with priming. About two weeks out, we create social stories so each student knows exactly what’s coming: where we’re going, what we’ll do, and what to expect. We make visuals of the actual spaces we’ll visit, and we build in choices along the way so no one feels stuck.
Then there’s packing, and no two backpacks are the same. Each one is built for that specific student: a change of clothes, favorite fidgets and beads, books, coloring sheets, whatever helps them feel ready and comfortable.
And we plan for the hard moments too. We bring tools to help a student reset and find calm if the moment feels too much, and we carry cards we can hand to people nearby that simply say, we’ve got this; please give us a little space.
All of that is why a day like this goes so well. Our students get to be out in the world, picking apples, taking in a new place, trying something new, doing the kind of learning that can’t happen inside four walls.
